Pupils/Parents
The Department's Pupil Support Unit takes the lead on issues affecting pupils considered at risk of educational underachievement due to personal circumstances.
The unit has a strong network of contacts within the Education and Library Boards, particularly with the Education Welfare Service, Behaviour Support Teams, Child Protection Support Service for Schools and Education Psychology.
We also work in partnership with many voluntary organisations like, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), Save the Children, Barnardo's Young Parents Network, Northdown Family Works, New Life Counselling, Counselling 4 Youth and Include Youth, to improve the life chances of disadvantaged young people.
The Work covers three main areas:
- Promoting positive behaviour and regular attendance at school (includes school discipline policies, susupensions and expulsions, attendance, anti-bullying programme, alternative educational provision and support services for pupils);
- Safeguarding pupils (covers all aspects of child protection policy and guidance within the education sector and the listing of persons as unsuitable to work with children); and
- Supporting children at risk due to individual circumstances (covers schools counselling, targeted support/initiatives for specific groups such as school aged mothers, looked after children, young carers, young offenders).
The Pupil Support Unit can be contacted at psu@deni.gov.uk or 028 9127 9842.
The Department's Additional Educational Needs Team takes the lead on educational issues for pupils from minority groups. The work covers three main areas:
- Educational arrangements for newcomer pupils for whom English is a second language;
- Educational arrangements for pupils from the Traveller and Roma communities; and
- Educational arrangements for pupils from Service Personnel Families
The AEN Team can be contacted at additionaleducationalneedsteam@deni.gov.uk or 028 9127 9576.
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